by Jason Briggs
It was Kathleen.
She was wearing blue jeans, sandals, and a sleeveless blouse. She looked amazing—I still wasn’t used to seeing her dressed down.
“I didn’t do it,” Brad said defensively as she approached.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said and took in the room. “Nice place. I can see why you two like it so much. Is there somewhere we can talk?”
“Sure,” I said. I took Brad’s dart, plucked out the ones we’d already thrown at the board, and returned them to the cigar box. “Right here’s as good as any,” I said. The place was packed out, even flowing out onto the back deck and the dock.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“I want to know, but I don’t want to know, about that.” She tossed her head toward the television above the bar. It was replaying the drone footage from Big Torch Key. The crawler was advertising breaking news about a VP of MercoKline confessing to his complicity in a military cover-up.
Brad shot me a sideward glance, waiting for me to answer.
I looked off into a corner. “Someone told us to make sure that heads rolled.”
“Well,” she said, “I don’t think that person meant for you to go take it literally.”
I shrugged. Brad shuffled his feet.
“A hell of a good job, you two. I think I’ve got the two best agents on the government’s payroll.”
We started breathing again. “Thanks, Kathleen.”
“Yeah,” Brad said. “I’ll remind you of that next time we screw something up.”
There was an old fishnet hanging on the ceiling above Kathleen’s head. It started to dance and wobble. I looked up just as something heavy fell from it and flopped onto Kathleen’s shoulder.
Kathleen is tough as nails, but her wits were no match for Brad’s iguana falling from the sky and landing on her. She screamed—albeit a short, stunted one—and jumped back. The iguana fell off her shoulder, and Brad stepped in and caught it before it hit the floor.
Kathleen cursed and now had the momentary attention of everyone in the place. “What was that thing doing up there?”
Brad frowned. “You know, I’m not sure. Don’t be mad at him,” Brad said, petting the reptile.
“I’m not mad at him. I’m mad at you.”
“Am I still one of the best agents ever?”
“I’m not sure anymore,” she said. “But I need a drink.”
“I’ll get you one,” he said and started toward the bar.
Kathleen smiled. “I love you, Brad.”
“I love you too, Kathleen.”
“I was talking to the iguana.”
Brad stopped and sighed, then looked toward his pet. “I think you’re getting a name change, bud.”
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Savage Justice! I hope you enjoyed stepping out of your world and into Ryan’s for a little while. This one was a blast to write.
If you enjoyed the book, please consider reviewing it HERE on Amazon. It can be as brief as you like.
If for any reason you’re considering giving Savage Coast a one- or two-star rating because there was something that really irked you, or something you just didn’t like, please send me an email at: [email protected]. I write these stories for you. If there is anything you would like me to change or improve, I would love to know about it. The great thing about self-publishing is that the story or a mistake is never set in stone. If you discover a mistake, I assure you it was one of oversight rather than laziness—and one I can quickly correct.
Thank you, dear reader.
Also by Jason Briggs
The great news is that you only have to wait a couple of weeks for the next installment. Ryan and Brad are back in Savage Storm, now available for pre-order.Grab it now and it will hit your Kindle on release day. Just tap the cover below…
About the Author
Jason Briggs has been a lover of adventure fiction since he was a boy. Now he write adventure thrillers of his own, taking readers to exotic locations with characters you can call your friends. He gets down to Southwest Florida two or three times a year, where he re-ups on a good sunburn and keeps the sand between his toes.
He lives in the midwest with his family. No pets yet, but they’re sure to come.
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